Team USA Women’s Hockey Captain Critiques Trump and Men’s Hockey Team

Hilary Knight, the captain of Team USA’s women’s hockey, expressed her dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and the men’s hockey team this week. Knight, who holds the record as Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in women’s Olympic hockey, took issue with a joke Trump made about inviting women to join the men’s team for the State of the Union address.

During an event on Sunday, the president remarked, “We’re going to have to bring in a women’s team,” joking that not doing so could lead to his impeachment. However, the women’s team declined the invitation, citing their “academic and professional commitments.” Knight, in a follow-up interview, detailed her offense toward the president’s comments.

“I thought that joke was offensive and unfortunate,” she said during a press conference on Wednesday. She emphasized the necessity of celebrating women for their significant achievements and noted that such remarks could overshadow those accomplishments.

On the same day, Knight reiterated her stance, calling the president’s remarks a “disgusting joke” in an interview on a sports show. She elaborated, “I thought that was kind of an unpleasant joke, and it unfortunately overshadows a lot of the accomplishments of the women who took care of the U.S. team during the Olympics.” Knight indicated that the focus should be on honoring the efforts of both men and women athletes, rather than downplaying them with inappropriate comments.

She remarked that it was “disappointing” and suggested the men’s team “erred” in their response by laughing at the president’s joke, which she felt detracted from the show of respect they should have offered.

While American women did not attend the State of the Union address, Trump mentioned during his speech that a team of women would visit the White House. The women’s team has also accepted an invitation to celebrate with rapper Flavor Flav later this summer.

Forward Alex Carpenter shared her excitement, stating she plans to complete her pro season before heading to Las Vegas to celebrate. “Have fun and celebrate the way we deserve,” she exclaimed.

Flavor Flav has been appointed as the official hype man for both the U.S. Bobsled Team and Skeleton Team for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.